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Goal

The goal of this project is to increase the grades and test scores for all ESE students by providing 3 types of flexible seating for 50 ESE students at our school. Providing a variety of choices in seating will allow the ESE students who attend the resource classroom a better chance to access all their grade level (K-4) reading and math benchmarks by making them more comfortable and being ready to learn. This grant will provide a variety of seating options for each child. Research shows that there are many benefits to flexible seating. These include burning more calories, using up excess energy, improving metabolism, increasing student motivation, increasing individual engagement, creating a better oxygen flow to the brain, and improving the students core strength and posture. In other words, flexible seating in our classroom would allow the ESE child, who often can't sit still, the opportunity to do more physical activity while sitting. Physical activity can be linked to higher academic performance, better health, and improved behavior. By providing different options of seating in the classroom the students can make choices. Each child can choose a seat that makes them more comfortable and ready to learn. It will allow the child to choose the option which will work best for them. When a child is ready to earn and oxygen is following to the brain, they will retain the information being taught in the resource classroom. All children participating in seating choices will be more comfortable. Their mind and bodies will be ready to learn. Research proves, children who are ready to learn will master more goals and perform better on tests. The majority of ESE students who would benefit from flexible seating are working on their grade level benchmarks in the areas of math:operations and algebraic thinking, number and operations in base ten, and in language arts: reading foundational skills, literature and writing. 

What will be done with my students

Each year the resource room services 45-50 students. As the population at our school continues to grow, so does the number of ESE students each year. This grant would benefit at least 45- 50 students yearly. The majority of the ESE students attend the resource classroom 1-3 times daily for 30 minutes each time. The activities in the classroom range from whole group games, reading groups, silent reading, paper pencil tasks, partner activities and group projects. By providing different seating options, the children have more choices of how to best complete the activity assigned. Choosing where to sit for each different type of activity will promote higher level thinking skills. Over time the children will figure out which seats work best for them for each learning activity and why. Another goal for this project is to shift the idea of classroom control. By allowing a child to choose where and how to sit gives more control to the students and less control to the teacher. Giving the child more control helps them to invest themselves in the learning process. Being invested in ones learning often improves behaviors. Teaching the child to make decisions, having students take more control and be more vested in the learning process is the ultimate plan for this grant. This would start for the child in the k-4 setting by allowing them to choose seats and hopefully this responsible learner would continue to explore and choose ways to benefit themselves throughout their education. 

Benefits to my students

The benefit to the flexible seating will be seen in the increase in test scores measured on the STAR Reading and STAR Math The students will be tested quarterly to monitor their test scores, looking for an increase of 1 grade level for 80% of the 10 students monitored who will use the flexible seating at this time. The 10 students chosen to be monitored will be those who have the lowest combined STAR scores at the time of implementation. These 10 students will also be predicted to achieve a 75% or better on 80% of the classroom assessments taken with the flexible seating. Although the results of only 10 students will be tracked, all 50 students will benefit from the new seats by being allowed to have more control over their own learning. It will also improve behavior in the class by making students more comfortable and this too will benefit all by having a more productive learning environment for all. 

Budget Narrative

Our 50 students, many of who are very active and energetic, will greatly appreciate the chance to choose a seat that makes them comfortable and ready to learn. The 3 seating options can be bought from Discount School Supply. Allowing the students the flexibility to choose their seats, either on the floor; sitting on the rocker seats or the backjack folding chair, or sitting at a table on the adjustable wobble stool will get them ready to learn and shift control of learning over to the students. Taking responsibility for their own learning improves focus as well as behavior of al the students in the ESE room.  

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